As the I.R.S. is now accepting federal income tax returns, a war is intensifying. The war is between the major tax preparing companies. Intuit’s TurboTax, with its online and desktop software, and H&R Block, with its storefronts and online software, are the major opponents, and the battlefield is media, and the warriors are their advertising campaigns.

A few weeks ago, TurboTax released its latest set of commercials designed to criticize unnamed income tax return storefronts, easily assumed to include H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, that look for preparers by advertising positions “with no tax experience necessary.” The implied message is that when you sit down to provide your income information in a meeting at one of these storefronts, the person helping you might not be a tax professional with extensive experience.

It’s no surprise. Tax season is short, and these stores require employees for only a few months. These are not full-time jobs, so there is certainly the possibility of finding your tax preparer with another job — say, your plumber or shop girl. After all, you don’t need specialized knowledge to handle most income tax situations. I was able to handle the submission of my federal income taxes for many years, even before I started learning about personal finance. In fact, I did my taxes by hand and by mail for many years before the IRS accepted online filings.

For this reason, the latest TurboTax television commercials have some truth. Here’s one.

H&R Block fired back with commercials following the format of employee testimonial, a way to show that some of H&R Block’s storefront employees do have extensive financial experience. The company launched a social media campaign, #IAMHRBLOCK, encouraging their employees to share photographs of themselves with signs describing their tax-related experience outside of filing tax returns for H&R Block.

Here’s a typical shared photograph from the #IAMHRBLOCK social media campaign, from tax preparer Cassi Schmigotzki.

H&R Block’s television commercial above makes a point that the company’s employees sign tax returns, which is of course required by anyone who prepares a federal tax return, unlike with TurboTax online, where you are the preparer. But that signature means nothing — the taxpayer is ultimately responsible for the contents of the tax return, not the preparer.

If you want in-person help preparing your tax return, having bought into the belief that it’s difficult to complete a federal tax return online and get the biggest refund, you need to look for the designation of Enrolled Agent or Certified Public Accountant (CPA), not just the title “tax professional.” That’s not to say that storefront tax preparers aren’t trained. There is an extensive training process, accessible to anyone with or without prior experience. But the training doesn’t leave you with the state or federal certification that you should insist on if you’re seeking professional help with your taxes.

With the Enrolled Agent and CPA designations, your tax preparer can represent you in front of the I.R.S. in the event of an audit, though if you have legal questions about the audit, you’d need an attorney, as well. H&R Block will represent you with an Enrolled Agent — and it may not be the same individual who completed your return and, in theory, is familiar with your situation — for an additional fee. The company does offer a guarantee that if they make mistake, H&R Block will cover the penalties and interest, and that’s a nice guarantee to have, though the I.R.S. normally waives the penalties and interest for first mistakes anyway.

You’ll still owe the extra money if the mistake resulted in a smaller payment due to the I.R.S. than it should have been. Pay another additional fee in advance, and H&R Block would even cover your underpayment — the fee in this case is a kind of insurance.

While H&R Block’s storefront employees can get their jobs without prior tax experience, some customers may feel better about meeting with someone in person. The training is comprehensive, but here’s the bottom line for those viewing the battling commercials and unsure of what to do:

• If your tax situation is simple — you have only basic income forms and you are not an owner of a corporation — you can probably do just as well completing and filing your form online as any H&R Block storefront tax professional, and in the rare situation you do get audited, any professional you find will be just as good or better than the one assigned to your by H&R Block.
• If your tax situation is more complicated, build a multi-year relationship with a tax accountant, someone who will be around for you at any time, not just during tax season.

Neither TurboTax nor H&R Block is winning the war of tax preparation. There are other alternatives, all of which are not presented by companies with the marketing power of H&R Block and Intuit. TaxAct offers free federal tax return filing, and other services exist for completely free tax filing if you meet certain qualifications. Free isn’t always the best answer — complicated situations require individual attention, support, and representation from an Enrolled Agent or CPA you can work with over a long period of time.

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Thanks to tax code changes like the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, the law that put an end to the fiscal cliff bickering and uncertainty around this year’s tax rates, the IRS is behind with their normal process of updating forms and testing computer programming. While the government is usually ready for taxpayers to start filing their returns in January, some taxpayers will need to wait until late February or early March.

For someone counting on a tax refund, a delay like this can be financially troubling. And while these delays will affect a small portion of taxpayers, I would expect that if you are reading this article about taxes, you have might a slightly higher chance of being in that group. While many of the tax credits pertain to small or large businesses, sole proprietors and even individuals are affected.

Here are just a few of the forms that still need to be updated and tested by the IRS before people who wish to take advantage of the related credits can submit tax returns.

Form 5884: Work Opportunity Credit. This is a credit available to employers that hire employees that fall into certain categories, like those on food stamps (SNAP) or those who have been unemployed.

Form 8396: Mortgage Interest Credit. This credit is not the home mortgage interest deduction. This is a credit offered to homeowners who paid interest on their primary homes and who have a qualified Mortgage Credit Certificate from their state or local government.

Form 8839: Qualified Adoption Expenses. For a family that paid expenses related to adoption, this credit can provide a reimbursement of up to $12,650 per child.

Form 8859: District of Columbia First-Time Homebuyer Credit. Like the popular 2008 first-time homebuyer tax credit, this credit existed for new homeowners in D.C. through 2011. For the 2012 tax year, home owners can claim any credit residual carried over from 2011.

Several credits related to energy efficiency and alternative energy. Taxpayers planning to take advantage of the credits available for biodiesel and renewable diesel fuels, the Energy Efficient Home Credit, the Energy Efficient Appliance Credit, and the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit.

These delays shouldn’t prevent you from preparing your tax return, though. The delay is unfortunate, particularly if these credits will help you qualify for a refund rather than tax due. Depending on how you usually prepare your taxes, you can get started early and allow your return to be queued for immediate submission once the IRS opens the floodgates.

If like many other taxpayers you file online using software like TurboTax, TaxACT, or H&R Block, you can already input your information and calculate your taxes. The software will determine whether you can submit your return at the earliest date the IRS allows for taxpayers who aren’t affected by this delay, January 30. The online programs will hold onto your tax return until January 30 or the later date, and they will file your taxes automatically.

According to the Tax Institute at H&R Block, the delays will affect only 2 percent of all American taxpayers. Most of these credits are not that popular, unlike the Earned Income Tax Credit or the American Opportunity Tax Credit for education expenses. Visit the IRS website for the full list of forms that won’t be accepted until late February or early March.

When do you plan to file your federal income tax return this year? Are you filing using a service like TurboTax or H&R Block, or do you have an accountant handle this chore for you?

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